“Women are over-mentored but under-sponsored.”

Whew. That line sent chills down my spine. Because it’s true—and it’s personal.

We tell women to find mentors. We encourage them to seek advice, to raise their hands, to sit at the table. And many do—bravely, consistently, often while balancing far more than most will ever see.

But while women are being mentored, coached, and advised… Who is speaking their names in rooms they’re not in? Who is advocating for them when it counts? Who is connecting their competence to real opportunities?

That’s sponsorship. And that’s where the gap lives.

Mentorship is valuable—it provides wisdom, perspective, and support. But sponsorship is what moves careers forward. It’s not a conversation. It’s a vote of confidence made visible.

According to a joint study by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, women are 24% less likely than men to receive advice from senior leaders. And when they do, it often stops at mentorship. It doesn’t translate into high-visibility projects, promotions, or tangible influence.

Because mentors talk to you. Sponsors talk about you.

And in male-dominated industries like tech, engineering, construction, or finance, the gap is even wider. You can have the credentials, experience, and consistent results—but without sponsorship, visibility remains limited, and advancement remains out of reach.

Let me paint a picture:

• You’re in a boardroom. The only woman. The only Black woman.

• You’ve been “coached” by five mentors in the last three years.

• You’ve nailed your KPIs, presented stellar quarterly reports, and yet—

• When it’s time to choose someone to lead the next big project, your name doesn’t come up.

Not because you’re not qualified. But because no one in that room is willing to take a bet on you.

Sponsorship isn’t always about who likes you. It’s about who believes in you enough to take a risk. To put their credibility on the line. To create access.

And for women of colour, that kind of access is even harder to come by.

A 2023 Harvard Business Review study revealed that women of colour are significantly less likely to be sponsored than their white female or male peers, even with equivalent qualifications. The numbers speak. The systems persist.

So what do we do with this?

We name it. We challenge it. And we act intentionally.

Here are a few things I’ve learned personally and professionally:

🟣 Mentorship is not enough. We need both. One doesn’t replace the other.

🟣 Sponsorship requires proximity and power. If you’re in a position of influence, ask yourself: Who am I bringing into the rooms where decisions are made?

🟣 Women—especially Black and racialized women—need more than encouragement. They need elevation. Visibility. Voice.

🟣 Image and impact are not separate. How someone shows up can affect how they’re seen, but it should never define their worth. Still, presence when aligned with purpose can be powerful.

Sponsorship doesn’t always look like grand gestures. Sometimes, it’s a simple sentence: “I know someone who would be perfect for this.”

The point is: preparation is important. But access? That changes everything.

If you’ve had a sponsor who changed the trajectory of your life, tag them. If you’ve mentored someone recently, consider how you might also sponsor them. And if you’re a woman still waiting for your name to be called, know this: you are not invisible. You are not alone. And you are more than worthy.

Let’s keep talking about it. Let’s keep opening doors for others, and sometimes, for ourselves too.